Man to clean court premises for punching friend’s nose

A 28- year –old man, Sa’abi Yahuza, is to clean the premises of a Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, as punishment, for punching the nose of his friend.

The court which premises he is to clean, handed down the punishment on Wednesday, after Yahuza had pleaded guilty to a count charge of assault.
Yahuza, a labourer and a resident of River Part Estate, Abuja, had admitted acting wrongly by punching the nose of his friend.

“I plead with this court to reduce my punishment for I know I am guilty of the offence; I am so sorry for what I did.
“I have a wife and children to take care of; please sir, tamper justice with mercy; I will never fight or beat anybody again,’’ he pleaded.

The Trial Judge, Mr Garba Ogbede, said the convict’s plea had saved the court the pains of a prolonged prosecution, and that the punishment would have been more severe had he not pleaded guilty.

However, Ogbede added that in arriving at the sentence, the court took into consideration that the convict had a wife and children to look after.
He then warned the convict to be of good behavior, stressing that the court frowned at acts of violence.
“Desist from such acts in future and become a better citizen and human being,’’ he advised.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Oporomo Vivian, had told the court that one Yusuf Harauna of the same address with the convict reported the matter at the Lugbe Police Station on May 19.
Vivian said that Yahuza, on the same date, had a misunderstanding with Harauna .

“In the process, the convict punched the complainant’s nose, leading to a serious nose bleeding,” she said.
She said further that the crime, which Yahuza had earlier during police investigation confessed to committing, contravened Section 265 of the Penal Code.